Adjustable furniture glide



Feb. 10, 1942. R. E. MILLER ADJUSTABLE FURNITURE GLIDE Filed April 17', 1941 l lil.

Patented Feb. 10, 1942 UNITED stares T orrics This invention relates generally to: furniture leg shoes of the type known as g1ides, by which name they will be referred to hereinafter, and more particularly it relates to furniture glides that are adjustable in a vertical direction, whereby the furniture on which such glides are used may be conveniently leveled.

Among the objects of my invention is the provision of a furniture glide that may be applied to sockets or bores in furniture legs, which sockets or bores may have a considerable range of variation in their diameters, and which at the same time includes means for adjusting the glides relatively to the furniture leg, so that leveling of the article of furniture may be readily accomplished.

The general objects of my invention include the provision, in an adjustable furniture glide, of a construction that is simple, and effective, and low in cost.

These objects and such other objects as will hereinafter appear or be pointed out, are attained in the illustrative embodiments of my invention shown in the drawing, in which Figure 1 is an elevation'al view, partly in section of an illustrative embodiment of my invention.

Figure 2 is a view of the adjustable furniture glide of Figure l in a different position of adjustment and applied to a furniture leg, which is indicated in broken lines, and having additional portions of the glide shown in section;

Figure 3 is a plan view of the glide of Figure 1, with the top portion broken away on the line 33 of Figure 2; and

Figure 4 is an elevational view showing a second embodiment of my invention and a different.

manner of attaching it to a furniture leg.

My invention contemplates in general'the provision in connection with a furniture glide of a tapered member which is adapted for insertion into a bore in the end of a furniture leg. This bore may be either one formed in the leg itself, or it may be the bore of a metallic or other socket, such as in a conventional caster socket, which is inserted in a bore in the leg. In either case, the bores are apt to become worn by use, whereby they will become enlarged. On the other hand, errors in manufacture or in using a boring tool may also result in variations in dirange of dimensions is assured. Means may also proper.

leg will have a position relative to said leg that is different for each of the legs. By providing the aforementioned"adjustment of the glide relatively to the tapered member, it is possible to obtain a leveling of the article of furniture even 1 though" the" tapered member for each leg is different in relative position to the leg for each one of the legs'of the article.

' Referring now 'to the drawing in detail, I have shown at Ill a glide comprising a body member l I, which may be of resilient material having a cushioning action, such as soft india rubber. Where such a resilient material is used the lower portion may be encased in a smooth surfaced shell 12 of hard material, such as metal or synthetic plastic such as Bakelike, which will serve to provide a smooth contact with the floor. Obviously the part I2, instead of a shell, may be solid, and, if desired, parts II and I2 may be solid, and may also be made in one piece. Again, the part I I may be omitted.

A mounting is provided whereby the glide may be adjusted vertically relatively to said bushing. For this purpose a threaded stud I3 is provided which projects upwardly from the body H and which has its lower end secured to the body in any suitable or preferred manner, so that it will be rigid therewith and turn therewith. This way may be accomplished, where the body II is of rubber, by imbedding the lower end of said stud I3 in said body, as by molding it thereinto.

Seated in threaded engagement on the stud I3 is a member I4 which is shown as in the form of tapered cylindrical bushing, which is provided with an internally threaded bore, and which may, if desired, be provided with a flange l5 at its lower end. This bushing, which may be made of any suitable or preferred material, such as metal or any one of the variety of synthetic plastics that are available today (such as Bakelite for example) may be provided with meansfor preventing rotation of the member l4 within a bore into which it is inserted, such as upwardly extending fiutings IS on its outer convex surface, which may be in the form of grooves or ribs.

In Figures 1 and 2 the member M is shown inserted into a caster socket I! which may be of the conventional type, as shown. In Figure 3 the socket I7 is shown inserted into a bore l8 in a furniture leg l9, the latter being shown in broken lines.

The manner of use of my adjustable furniture glide will be readily apparent from Figures 1 and 2. It will be observed that in the particular example there shown the bore of the socket I1 is such that the tapered member 16 does not entirely enter to the full extent so that the shoulder l thereof is spaced some distance from the lower end of the furniture leg. If it is now desired to level the article of furniture, this may be done by adjusting each of the respective glides carried by the legs of said article by turning each glide in its member M, which will cause it to move closer to or farther away from the shoulder IE, or from the end of the furniture leg. This adjustability is indicated by the broken line position of the glide shown in Figure 2.

While my invention contemplates a unitary article of manufacture and sale one of the parts of which is a socket such as a conventional caster socket, it will be obvious that instead of using a socket so associated with the adjustable glide, the member I4 thereof may be inserted into a caster socket already previously positioned in place in the furniture leg, such as where the furniture leg has originally been used with a caster inserted into a socket carried by the legs.

My invention also contemplates the application of the glide to a furniture leg without the use of a caster socket. This is shown in Figure 4 in which a furniture leg l9, provided with a bore 18, is shown as having inserted thereinto the tapered member I4 carried by the stem I3 of the glide In. It will be observed that the member I4 is shown of tapered cylindrical form and as smooth on its exterior walls, that is, as lacking the fiutings l6 of Figures 1 and 3. For

certain purposes this construction and. this manner of use may be found preferable to that described in connection with the Figures 1 and 3.

While the member M in both the described embodiments has been shown as of tapered cylindrical form, it will be obvious that it may have other configurations. For example, it may have a polygonal cross section, such as a square, and obviously will function similarly to the described embodiments, provided of course it tapers in an upward direction.

While I have herein disclosed several illustrative embodiments of my invention it will be understood that the same may be embodied in many other forms, without departing from the spirit thereof, as will be obvious to those skilled in the art, and that the disclosure herein is by way of illustration merely and is not to be interpreted in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention and illustrated its use, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

In combination in a furniture leg shoe: a bushing adapted for insertion into a bore in a furniture leg, said bushing being tapered whereby it may wedge itself into a fixed position in any one of a plurality of bores differing from each other in diameter, the degree of entry of the bushing into the bore being dependent upon and varying with the diameter of the bore, said bushing having a threaded bore, a stem having a glide on one end thereof, said stem being threaded so as to fit adjustably into said threaded bore of the bushing, whereby said stem may be adjusted relatively to said bushing so as to compensate for variations of the position of the bushing in said bore and also to compensate for variations in the length of the furniture leg and the level of the floor on which the leg is to be positioned.

ROBERT E. MILLER. 

